City Voices: A City & Guilds Podcast

In conversation with...Peter Bedford MP

• City & Guilds • Season 1 • Episode 2

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"Apprenticeships are a great way to establish a career."

In this episode, Patrick Craven, Director of Policy, Strategic Partnerships, and Stakeholder Engagement, at City & Guilds speaks with Peter Bedford, the newly elected Conservative MP for Mid Leicestershire about the importance of providing equal opportunities for all, particularly through apprenticeships and professional and technical training.

They discuss the need for a cultural shift in how society views education and skills training, emphasising that apprenticeships can be as valid as traditional university routes. The conversation also touches on the role of government in supporting skills development and the importance of adapting to technological changes and green skills for future economic resilience.

Discover how apprenticeships can provide practical, hands-on learning experiences that rival traditional university degrees. Peter shares his personal journey as the first in his family to attend university, emphasising the need for diverse career pathways that are accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. We also explore the collaborative efforts of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for apprenticeships in driving policy changes and raising awareness about the critical roles these programs play in the economy.

Reflecting on Peter's vision for empowering future generations, we discuss how modernising educational systems to keep pace with technological advancements is imperative for the UK's global competitiveness.

Join us for an inspiring conversation that champions apprenticeships as a vital pathway for shaping a hopeful future.

You can access this and other City & Guilds podcasts here.

Read our full Impact Report discussed during the episode here. 

Introduction

Peter Bedford MP

I did a degree, then went on to do a training contract with a large accounting firm. However, there are just as valid and actually in some respects better routes for younger people to go through On-the-job training straight from college, getting those skills working practically there and then. So I think more needs to be done to drive those routes that aren't just the university channel direction.

Patrick Craven

Welcome

Patrick Craven

everybody. My name is Patrick Craven and I'm the Director of Policy, Strategy, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement for City &ampampampand Guilds. You're joining me in this In Conversation With podcast special, recorded live at the Conservative Party Conference here at the ICC Birmingham. I'm delighted to be joined by the Member of Parliament for Mid Leicestershire, Peter Bedford MP. Well, first of thank you, Peter, for giving us your time today and congratulations on your recently elected role as Conservative MP. for

Patrick Craven

Mid Leicestershire. In your major speech, you made the following remarks about opportunities for all. I'll just quote from what you said. Life chances, owning your own home, getting a career, and having a family should not be the exclusive preserve of the wealthy, but should be opportunities available to all. And they're clearly sentiments which are very much at the heart of City itting Guild's purpose as well. And we do a lot to try and support those sentiments. So how would you like to work with members from across the house? to

Patrick Craven

drive reform and investment in vital areas via skills, which can provide greater opportunities for all. Yeah, absolutely. It's one of the key issues that I want to be campaigning on as a new member of parliament. I come from a single parent family where I was the first in my family to go to university. getting a career really for me was really important to establishing myself and being able to provide for my own family and the greater community. I'm really passionate that it doesn't matter which walk of life you come from. you

Patrick Craven

have those opportunities. I think that apprenticeships is a great way of doing that. I think particularly in today's economy where we lack a lot of skills that we need. So we definitely lack skills in terms of electricians, plumbers, apprenticeships for, you know, really hands on piece of skills and workmanship that can really help people who perhaps don't have a university directed academic background, but really want to use those skills to better themselves and their families. Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think and what you touched on there, I guess, is that At

Patrick Craven

the heart of all of that is education and training. Yes, there was of that springboard to opportunity. But as you say, for those that maybe aren't able to get to university to pursue that route, there are other routes available. Yes. And increasingly apprenticeships have that credibility and provides that opportunity for people to progress into what can be very profitable careers. Paul

Patrick Craven

Archer (02:50. 606) So

Patrick Craven

the other area that I just wanted to touch on was in terms of your link with the APPG on for apprenticeships and it aims to create a positive constructive platform that builds strong relationship with companies and collaborates with them in developing policies around apprenticeships, etc. So one of the key objectives is raising awareness amongst the parliamentarians and policymakers of the VICA role apprenticeships play in our economy, which you've already touched on in areas like trades, etc. So

Patrick Craven

in your opinion, what action should parliamentarians and policymakers be taking to shine more of a spotlight on the importance of apprenticeships? Yeah, first of all, it's really important that apprenticeships and promotion apprenticeships is a cross-party issue. It goes beyond party politics. We all want our country to succeed. We all want us have the skills, the training for our younger people. And that goes beyond party politics. So I think the APPG is really good for bringing... different

Patrick Craven

parliamentarians, different parties together to promote that. I think it can also be good because we can give examples, real life examples in our own constituencies of maybe the skills that we're short of or success stories where particular groups of people have gone through the apprenticeship route, gone on to get a career, gone on to get a skill, and it's really helped the local economy. So I think bringing those real life examples from our own constituencies, I represent a quite rural constituency. There are Labour MPs that are involved that represent more urban city constituencies. Beneath

Patrick Craven

that are the same challenges around skills, ensuring that we have the skills for the future and that our younger people particularly are able to get access to those training opportunities. Yeah, and just picking up on your observation there about younger people as well, do think more could be being done in schools to raise the profile of apprenticeships? Absolutely. take my own example, if I go back 25, 30 years when I was going through my A levels, I was thinking, what do I want to do? Now I knew that I wanted to... get

Patrick Craven

a career in law or finance. I knew that was my strength. The only real kind of pathway that was presented to me was university. So you go to university, you get a degree, you then you then find a training contract and you you go down that route. Well, actually, that's not quite right, because there are other options available to someone in accountancy. I was fortunate I did a degree, they went on to do a training contract with a large accounting firm. However, there are just as valid naturally in some respects. Paul

Patrick Craven

Archer (05:11. 298) better

Patrick Craven

routes for younger people to go through, on the job training, straight from college, getting those skills, working practically there and then. So I think more needs to be done to promote those routes that aren't just the university channel direction. Yeah, they're fantastic. Paul

Patrick Craven

Archer (05:36. 654) So

Patrick Craven

what impact would you like the AQPG to have over the next few years to help give that next generation the opportunity to gain those new skills if there was kind of a legacy, like what things should change? I think there's a cultural change, I think, as I mentioned earlier, around, you know, if we go back 20 years or so. Government was really pushing people. They wanted to have 50 % of school leavers to go to university. I think, you know, I get why they would have those kind of targets, but actually perhaps that's not the right metric because Whilst

Patrick Craven

university gives you a good qualification in a particular field, does it actually give you the practical real life experience of applying those skills? So I think the legacy would be that we see government and business, think business is already moving that way, have that cultural shift towards actually, apprenticeships are really, really, really helpful and useful. And they're the far more practical way of ensuring that people joining the organisation have the skills, the practical skills to apply. So I would like to that cultural shift over the next five years to that position. Yeah,

Patrick Craven

so if there was a legacy would be that actually although university and higher education is still a valid route, yes, people would talk about apprenticeships in the same breath and say actually that is equally as valid a route. Exactly. Yeah, exactly that. Paul

Patrick Craven

Archer (07:01. 196) And

Patrick Craven

where do you think the government should focus its attention, therefore, to ensure investment and skills leads to long-term economic resilience, job creation, greater access for more people? So more needs to be done in terms of supporting businesses to enable them to support apprentices. So, for example, we had the apprenticeship levy. I know there's talk of reforming that to making it more agile and flexible in terms of its application. I think reform in that space is needed to ensure that businesses have

Patrick Craven

the incentive to bring on apprenticeships that they see the benefit of doing so. They have the support to support people coming in to train for those jobs. So those are the kind of things I'd like to see change and reform and develop. Because, you know, ultimately, if a training route successful, the business gets the skills it needs to grow for the future. And then the individual gets a qualification. And I'll say it's my opening statement that that gives them the opportunity to then have a career, have a family, good source of income and build for their own success. now

Patrick Craven

and I think you so rightly make the point that apprenticeship essentially is a job and therefore the more that employers and industry can step forward and provide those opportunities then education and training can meet that demand and ensure that it happens. Paul

Patrick Craven

Archer (08:23. 704) How

Patrick Craven

would you like to see skills development evolve over the next five years to ensure the UK remains competitive on a global scale as well, watching the focus or to line? That's really important. I think we're having massive technological changes across the internet, artificial intelligence, all those things where actually we're not quite there in terms of ensuring that our workforces have got those skills necessary to compete in the global arena. I think as technology continues to progress, we need to make sure that you

Patrick Craven

know, apprenticeships, universities, all those routes into upskilling people are also modernizing. Yeah, often the case, Parliament is often five, 10 years behind the curve on technology. So I think we as parliamentarians and you know, as the APPG need to be looking on the horizon, what's coming up, what changes are happening in the skills for the future, ensuring that businesses and other training bodies are prepared for that. Yeah, I know. And I think it's a really valid point as well about ensuring Not

Patrick Craven

only the parliamentarians are aware of that for the future and future perspectives, but equally the education and training system is keeping pace with that. Because with things like technology that move so quickly, it can often be difficult therefore education and training to keep pace and us doing one of the points that you want to try and flag through the APG. Paul

Patrick Craven

Archer (09:49. 774) So

Patrick Craven

that's great to hear all the things you're saying about, apprenticeships, social mobility, access for all, are clearly going to be the things that are going to drive prosperity for the country and for regions and things. We've just recently produced our productivity report, which starts to try and create that and highlight that link to skills and productivity. And do you see in your constituency that that's going to be a key way of ensuring regeneration of prosperity? prosperity

Patrick Craven

etc for people and the place as a whole? Yeah absolutely because you know I have quite a rural constituency it's quite disparate there are 24 villages so there are quite different needs across across them all but but you know beneath that are the basic core skills that we need some of the core skills Everyone

Patrick Craven

needs electrician. Everyone needs plumbers. Everyone needs those things that we need to keep our own homes running. All of those things that actually in the last 10, 20 years I think have kind of fallen away in terms of investment in those skills. So we really need to make sure that we're encouraging younger people or indeed older people to retrain, to get into those skills, to have that pathway to ensuring that my constituents can get. the

Patrick Craven

services they need. it's really important that we continue to invest in that. And I guess you touched on some very important trade disciplines there. And you mentioned technology before has been an area that clearly is a focus for skills. I guess the other area that often gets referred to is green skills and next era. Yes. And the trades have an important part to play there, I would guess as well. Yeah, absolutely. I think the green agenda is clearly high up government's priority. I think that political compliments. the

Patrick Craven

skills agenda because we all want to do as little harm to the environment as possible. Clearly we want to look after our environment. So I think working hand in hand with the skills agenda, it would certainly complement the stuff that you're doing. Provide those common solutions for a whole range of things that we need to do. Thank you. Paul

Patrick Craven

Archer (11:51. 214) I

Patrick Craven

mean, there's a variety of subjects there. I'd like to finish, I can, by sort of identifying, it's exciting to see we've got the leadership contest going on. We are just at the moment. And what do you make of the candidates? How should they look to hold the government to account over Parliament in terms of what they should be saying to your party in terms of winning that leadership? Yeah, so I'm back in Robert Jenrick. I think Robert's got the all-round experience and skills and determination to... get

Patrick Craven

the bring the party together and hopefully win the next general election. I believe that Robert's actually looking to the future. Robert's a very big supporter of next gen Tories, which is a group set up to essentially look at the challenges facing younger people, know, owning your own home, which I mentioned earlier, having a skill, ensuring that they they have a stake in society. And Robert really buys into that. So that's why I'm backing Robert. And I hope he's successful because we can take those policy agenda forward. Now

Patrick Craven

fingers crossed, I think everything that you've touched on there in terms of what he stands for, the country is solely in need of. And so fingers crossed that that becomes a reality for you. Thank you so much for your today as well. Thank you. Thank you for listening. Why not share the episode with a colleague or friend and I'm sure that you found a whole range of insights very useful from Peter. Join me as well as we begin our countdown for next year's most significant event, the Apprenticeship and Training Conference, formerly the Annual Apprenticeship Conference in Liverpool. next

Patrick Craven

year on the 10th to the 11th of March with City &and Guilds as the headline sponsors. But until then, goodbye for now. so

Promoting Apprenticeships for Future Opportunities

Patrick Craven

Well, first of all, thank you, peter, for giving us your time today and congratulations on your recently elected role as Conservative MP for Mid Leicestershire. In your major speech, you made the following remarks about opportunities for all. I'll just quote from what you said Life chances, owning your own home, getting a career and having a family should not be the exclusive preserve of the wealthy, but should be opportunities available to all, and they're clearly sentiments which are very much at the heart of City and Guild's purpose as well, and we do a lot to try and support those sentiments. So how would you like to work with members from across the house to drive reform and investment in vital areas, like skills, which will provide greater opportunities for all?

Peter Bedford MP

Yeah, absolutely. It's one of the key issues that I want to be campaigning on as a new Member of Parliament. I come from a single-parent family where I was the first in my family to go to university. So getting a career really for me was really important to establishing myself and being able to provide for my own family and for the bridge community. So I'm really passionate that it doesn't matter where you come from, which walk of life you come from, you have those opportunities and I think that apprenticeships is a great way of doing that. I think, particularly in today's economy where we lack a lot of skills that we need so we definitely lack skills in terms of electricians, plumbers apprenticeships for really hands on piece of skills and workmanship that can really help people who perhaps don't have a university-directed academic background but really want to use those skills to better themselves and their families?

Shining a spotlight on the importance of apprenticeships

Patrick Craven

Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think and what you touched on there, I guess, is that at the heart of all of that is education and training. Yes, so it was off that springboard to opportunity, but, as you say, for those that maybe aren't able to get to university to pursue that route, there are other routes available. Yes, and increasingly apprenticeships have that credibility and provides that opportunity for people to progress into what can be very profitable careers. So the other area that I just wanted to touch on was in terms of your link with the APPG for apprenticeships, and it aims to create a positive, constructive platform that builds strong relationships with governments and collaborates with them in developing policies around apprenticeships, etc. So one of the key objectives is raising awareness amongst the parliamentarians and policymakers of the vital role apprenticeships play in our economy, which you've already touched on in areas like trades, etc. So, in your opinion, what action should parliamentarians and policymakers be taking to shine more of a spotlight on the importance of apprenticeships?

Peter Bedford MP

Yeah, the first one is really important that friendships and promotional friendships is a cross-party issue. It goes beyond party politics. We all want our countries to succeed. We all want us to have the skills, the training for our younger people, and that goes beyond party politics. So I think the APPG is really good for bringing different parliamentarians, different parties together to promote that.

Peter Bedford MP

I think it can also be good because we can give examples, real-life examples in our own constituencies, of maybe the skills that we're short of or success stories where particular groups of people have gone through the apprenticeship route, gone on to get a career, gone on to get a skill that's really helped the local economy. So I think bringing those real examples from our own constituencies you know I represent a quite rural constituency. There are Labour MPs that are involved that represent more urban city constituencies. So but beneath that are the same challenges around skills, ensuring that we have the skills for the future and that our younger people particularly are able to get access to those, those training opportunities, yeah, and just picking up on your observation there about younger people as well.

Patrick Craven

Do you think more could be being done in in schools to raise the profile of apprenticeships?

Creating a Lasting Legacy for the Next Generation

Peter Bedford MP

absolutely so. Take my own example. You know, if I go back 25, 30 years when I was going through my a levels, I was looking what do I want to do now? I knew that I wanted to get a career in law or finance. I knew that was my strength. The only real kind of pathway that was presented to me was university. So you go to university, you get a degree, you then find a training contract and you go down that route. Well, actually that's not quite right, because there are other options available to someone. I was fortunate I did a degree, then went on to do a training contract with a large accounting firm. However, there are just as valid and actually in some respects better routes for younger people to go through on-the-job training straight from college, getting those skills working practically there and then. So I think more needs to be done to drive those routes that aren't just the university-channeled direction. Yeah, no, fantastic.

Patrick Craven

So what impact would you like the APPG to have over the next few years to help give that next generation the opportunity to gain those new skills? If there was kind of a legacy, if you like, what things should change?

Peter Bedford MP

I think there's a cultural change. I think, as I mentioned earlier, around. You know, if we go back 20 years or so, government was really pushing people. They wanted to have 50 of your school leavers to go to university. I get why they would have those kind of targets, but actually perhaps that's not the right metric, because whilst university gives you a good qualification in a particular field, does it actually give you the practical, real life experience for applying those skills? So I think the legacy would be that we see government and business I think business is already moving that way how that cultural shift towards actually friendships are really, really, really helpful and useful. Yeah, and they're. They're at the far more practical way of ensuring that people joining the organization have the skills, practical skills, to apply. So I would like to see that cultural shift over the next five years, yeah.

Building Long-Term Economic Resilience

Patrick Craven

So if there was a legacy, it would be that, actually, although university and higher education is still a valid route, people would talk about apprenticeships in the same breath and say, actually, that is equally as valid a route. Exactly, yeah, exactly that, exactly that, absolutely yeah. And where do you think the government should focus its attention, therefore, to ensure investments and skills leads to long term economic resilience, job creation, greater access for more people.

Peter Bedford MP

So more needs to be done in terms of supporting businesses to enable them to support apprentices. Yeah so, for example, you know we had the apprenticeship levy. There's talk of reforming that to making it more agile and flexible in terms of application. I think, uh, reforming that space is needed to ensure that businesses have the incentive to bring on friendships that they see the benefit of doing so they have the support to people coming in to train for those jobs. So those are the kind of things I'd like to see change and reform and develop because, ultimately, if a training group successful, the business gets the skills it needs to grow for the future. And then the individual gets a qualification and I'll say that's the way opening statement that that gives them the opportunity to then have a career, have a family, a good source of income and build for their own success.

The Future of Skills Development and Global Competitiveness

Patrick Craven

Now, and I think you so rightly make the point that apprenticeship essentially is a job and therefore the more that employers in the industry can step forward and provide those opportunities, then education and training can meet that demand and ensure that it happens. How would you like to see skills developments evolve over the next five years to ensure the UK remains competitive on a global scale as well? Watching the focus all to line.

Peter Bedford MP

That's really important. I think we're having massive technological changes across the internet, artificial intelligence, all those things where actually we're not quite there in terms of ensuring that our workforces have got those skills necessary to compete in the global arena. So I think, as technology continues to progress, we need to make sure that apprenticeships, universities, all those routes into upskilling people, are also modernising. It's often the case Parliament is often five, ten years behind the curve on technology. So I think we as parliamentarians and as the APPG need to be looking on the horizon of what's coming up, what changes are happening in the skills for the future, ensuring that businesses and other training bodies are prepared for that.

key ways of ensuring regeneration of prosperity, prosperity

Patrick Craven

Yeah, I know, and I think it's a really valid point as well, about ensuring not only that parliamentarians are aware of that for the future and future perspectives, but equally the educational training system is keeping pace with that, because with things like technology that move so quickly, it can often be difficult there for education and training to keep pace, and that's really one of the points that you want to try and flag through the APG. So that's great to hear all the things you're saying about. And apprenticeships, social mobility, access for all are clearly going to be the things that are going to drive prosperity for the country and for regions and things. We've just recently produced our productivity report, which starts to try and create that and highlight that link to skills and productivity. And do you see in your constituency that that's going to be a key way of ensuring regeneration of prosperity, prosperity etc. For for people and the place as a whole?

Peter Bedford MP

yeah, absolutely, because you know, I said I have quite a rural constituencies, quite disparate. There are 24 villages so there are quite different needs across across all. But beneath that are the basic core skills that we need. Some of the core skills everyone needs electrician, everyone needs plumbers, everyone needs those things that we need to keep our own homes running, all of those things that actually in the last 10, 20 years, I think, have kind of fallen away in terms of investment in those skills. So we really need to make sure that we're encouraging younger people, or indeed older people, to retrain, to get into those skills, to have that pathway to ensuring that my constituents can get the services they need.

Patrick Craven

So it's really important we can invest in that and I guess you touched on some very important trade disciplines there, and you mentioned technology before as being an area that clearly is a focus for skills. I guess the other area that often gets referred to is green skills and next era. Yes, and the trades have an important part to play there, I would guess as well.

Peter Bedford MP

Yeah, absolutely. I think the green agenda is clearly high up government's priority. I think that it complements the skills agenda, because we all want to do as little harm to the environment as possible. Clearly, we want to look after our environment. So I think working hand in hand with the skills agenda would certainly complement the stuff that you're doing.

The Conservative Party leadership contest.

Patrick Craven

It would provide those common solutions for a whole range of things that we need to do. Thank you, Thoughts. I mean it covers a variety of subjects. Now I'd like to finish, if I can, by sort of just identifying. It's exciting to see we've got the leadership contest going on we have Just at the moment. And what do you make of the candidates? How should they look to hold the government to account over Parliament in terms of what they should be saying to your party, in terms of winning that leadership?

Peter Bedford MP

Yes, so I'm backing Robert Jenrick. I think Robert's got the all-round experience and skills and determination to bring the party together and hopefully win the next general election. I believe that Robert's actually looking to the future. Robert's a very big supporter of Next Gen Tories, which is a group set up to essentially look at the challenges facing younger people owning your own home, which I mentioned earlier, having a skill, ensuring that they have a stake in society and Robert really buys into that. So that's why I'm backing Robert and I hope he's successful, because we can take those policy agendas forward.

Patrick Craven

Fingers crossed. I think everything that you've touched on there in terms of what he stables for the country is sorely in need of, and so fingers crossed that that becomes a reality for you. Thank you so much for your time today as well. Thank you.